Flight Controls Flashcards
What is the only primary flight control that is not FBW?
Aileron
What is the main difference between the ailerons and the other flight controls?
The ailerons are driven by conventional control cables that are connected to hydraulic actuators (hydro-mechanical) while the rest of the flight controls are FBW. FBW hydraulic actuators are called power control units (PCU)
You are looking at the flap position on the EICAS and position indicator is showing amber. What does this mean?
The flaps are in transit. It will turn green when stable
What will the EICAS display if a flap jam occurs?
EICAS message plus an amber box on the flap display
What are the two basic flight control modes of operation? If all systems are operating normally what will be the flight control mode?
Normal and Direct, normal
What is the difference between the normal and direct modes of operation?
- There are no higher functions available in direct
- The FCMs are removed
How does the Fly by wire system work?
The FCM units are connected to the ACE via the controller area network bus (CAN BUS) providing digital inputs to the ACE that are combined with pilot inputs
What are the primary control electronics?
Primary - Actuator control electronics (P-ACE)
- Flight control module (FCM)
How many ACE’s are installed? How many channels does each one have?
9 (3 P-ACE, 2 SF-ACE, 3 Spoiler ACE, and 1 HS-ACE)
- 2
Explain in general terms what the direct mode is?
The flight control mode (FCM) is removed form the control loop and the control limits default to the values set by the primary actuator control electronics (P-ACE). The highest level functions of the particular flight control are removed.
There are three Flight Control Mode guarded buttons. What do they do?
When pushed in the put the associated flight system into the direct mode from the normal mode bypassing the FCM and all higher level functions
What three flight systems have Flight Control Mode buttons?
Rudder, Spoilers, Elevator
What would cause the FCM to go into the direct mode?
The loss of airspeed data
Can the direct mode be selected by the pilot?
Yes, but pressing the FLT Control Mode button on (out is normal)
Will the multi-function spoilers function in the DIRECT mode? Will speed brakes/ground spoilers?
Multi-function spoilers - Yes, but a default fixed gain is used
Speed brakes/ground spoilers - No, they’re controlled by the FCM
Is AOA Limit Protection available in direct mode?
No
Can you stall the airplane in direct mode?
Yes
The stall protection system provides warning to the pilot when the aircraft speed is approaching stall speed. How does it do this?
The AFCS activates the stick shaker on the control column
How does the FCM provide stall protection?
By means of the AOA limiting function
What does the AOA limiting function do?
Reduces control column authority in the nose up direction gradually reducing until the control column reaches the aft stop thereby limiting AOA
FCM computes an AOA limting command using what?
AOA data, control column position and inertial feeback
A pitch limit indicator shows what? Why speeds correlate to what color? (Amber and red are the same for the low speed awareness tape)
- Shows margin between AOA and stick shaker activation
- Green: 1.2 Vstall to 1.13 Vstall
- Amber: 1.13 Vstall to Vshaker
- Red: at or below Vshaker
What three surfaces are shown on the Flight Control System Status Annunciation?
Rudder, Elev LH, Elev RH
Which elevator surface does HYD Sys 1 control? HYD System 2? HYD System 3?
Left outboard - System 1
L and R inboard - System 2
Right outboard - System 3
Which HYD System is not used for the rudder?
System 2
Which hydraulic system power the inboard aileron PCUs? Outboard aileron PCUs?
HYD system 2
HYD system 3
Which HYD systems power which rudder surface? Which HYD system is not used for the rudder?
- HYD system 1 powers upper rudder
- HYD system 3 powers lower rudder
- HYD system 2 is not used
Which HYD systems power the ground spoilers?
- HYD system 1 powers L2 and R2 (outboards)
- HYD system 2 powers L1 and R1 (inboards)
There is an upper and lower rudder surface. What about the elevators?
There is an inboard and outboard elevator surface
If a jam occurs in one elevator what happens to the system?
That one surface remains fixed and the pilot controls the remaining elevator surfaces
How can a pilot disconnect a jammed rudder?
He can’t
Where can you find a visual representation of the flight control system operations and parameters?
The flight control system synoptic on the MFD
What are the higher level functions associated with pitch
Gain on airspeed, elevator thrust compensation, AOA limiting
Going from Normal to Direct mode how is the ridder affected?
You’ll lose the higher level functions
What is the elevator thrust compensator function?
- It moves the elevator +- 5 deg to compensate for engine thrust changes
- Stabilizes the aircraft about the pitch axis and will only be available in normal mode only, as computed by the FCM
What are the higher level functions associated with yaw (rudder)?
- Yaw damp
- Turn coordination
- Thrust asymmetry
- Gain on airspeed
What do you lose when you into Direct mode
All the higher level functions for the associated flight control
Where would the stab trim setting be displayed on the flight deck
In the lower right corner of the EICAS display